Masked Love
by MissAly98
Summary: After trapping the Dark Dragon inside the realms of Victoria Peak, Jake can finally relax and focus on more important things, such as finding Rose. Jake hasn't seen Rose since that last day in Hong Kong. What will it take to get the two back together?
1. Chapter 1: A New Year, A New Beginning

**Chapter One: A New Year, A New Beginning**

_Do you ever wish you could go back in time? Whether it's because you want to fix past mistakes or re-visit the happy times in your life, time travel is an unreal fantasy we've all dreamed about at least once in our lives._

_But, if you had the chance to go back in time, would you do it? Can fixing past mistakes really make for a better future? Think about it. If a person never makes mistakes, they don't learn anything. Because of the mistakes you have made in the past, you have more knowledge for the future._

_But what if something happens to you and it's not your fault? What do you do then? Do you go back and fix it or do you just watch it play put and hope for the best? The answer most people might be gravitating towards would be to go and fix it, but when you're dealing with fate, it's best to just stand by and pray that everything works out. People aren't perfect and when they start messing with fate, something is bound to slip up._

_And Jake definitely did _not_ want to slip up._

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><p>"This is going to be a great year!" Jake announced after slurping down the last bit of milk in his bowl. It was a foggy, Monday morning and Jake, Trixie, and Spud were all together, huddled around Jake's kitchen table.<p>

"You know it playa!" Trixie agreed enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Nothing can mess this up." Spud added. "And also everyone will understand by now that Stacey and I are an item and will respect that."

"Sure they will, Spudinski." Trixie said, sarcasm clear in her voice.

Jake raised his eyebrows. "Never mind about that because this year we are no longer freshmen. We are sophomores who get to show the freshmen who's boss!"

"Now that's more 'long the lines of what I was thinkin'!" Trixie agreed.

Jake glanced at his watch and noticed that it was almost time for school, which started at 8:45.

"Yo, guys, it's 8:33 and if we want to make it to school on time we better jet." Jake told his friends.

Trixie kicked her feet up onto the table. "It's all good though. We don't need to worry about being late for anything since Jakey-Jake here got his license."

"Uh…" Jake stammered.

Trixie narrowed her eyes on Jake. "You did get your license, didn't you?" She questioned him.

"Well…" Jake began. "Grandpa took me to go get it after I turned sixteen and he made me nervous and I, uh... I…" Jake said, scratching the back of his neck.

"You..?" Trixie questioned, raising her brow.

"I… failed the test." Jake muttered.

"What was that?" Trixie teased with a grin on her face.

"I failed the test!" Jake spat out.

Trixie chuckled. "Well we'd better get goin' if we wanna get there on time."

"No kidding." Jake rolled his eyes in annoyance.

The three grabbed their skateboards and headed out the door.

"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" Jake called out before closing the door. "Let's Go!"

They made it to the school with thirty seconds to spare.

"Ah… Mr. Long, there you are. Late on the first day of school, hmm? That is not model behaviour." A familiar voice taunted.

Jake froze. He recognized that voice anywhere. Turning around, he anticipated seeing the face of his former mythology teacher and middle school principal, Professor Rotwood.

"Yes Mr. Long, I know what you're thinking." Rotwood began with a mocking tone. "Why have I suddenly popped into your high school? It's hard to believe it myself, but Millard Fillmore Middle School thought that I was too intelligent and let me go. I know, such a sad story, but I felt that it was in my obligations to fill in as your principal for this year at Millard Fillmore High School!"

"Aw man!" Jake groaned hopelessly.

"Oh, and one more thing, Mr. Long. I assigned you to help out with orientation. You will be the tour guide for all the new kids that show up at this school. I trust that you will do a good job?" Rotwood interrogated, raising both eyebrows.

"Yeah, sure." Jake nodded absently and took off towards the front office. Trixie and Spud were close behind him. They were glad to be free of the awkwardness that Rotwood held every time he spoke.

Rotwood's awkwardness wasn't the only thing that bothered Jake though. Jake couldn't understand why Rotwood would even want to fill in at his high school. What could he possibly want to be doing here? Jake dismissed his troubles with Professor Rotwood. He had worse things to be worrying about.

"Well I guess we'd better go pick up our schedules." Jake suggested. "I hope the three of us have most of the same classes like last year."

"I don't." Spud stated. "I only had one class with Stacey last year. _One class!_ And do you know what class it was?" Spud asked, but without giving his friends time to answer, he wailed, "cooking class! Everybody knows that I, Arthur P. Spudinski, cannot cook! Cooking class made a fool out of me." Spud sighed and dropped his face into his hands.

"It's alright, Spud. Just chill, okay?" Jake reassured him. "Look, we'll figure everything out as soon as we pick up our schedules and if you have cooking class with Stacey again, Trixie and I will help you out."

"Really?" Spud asked, wiping a pretend tear from his face.

"Really." Jake promised.

The group began walking toward the school office, acting as if Spud's dramatic scene never happened. The office was at the very end of the hallway. When they arrived, they noticed a lady stationed behind a tall desk. As the three approached her, she was quick to greet them.

"Hello there. I'm guessing you're here for your schedules." She said, handing them a bunch of papers. "And Jake, I assume you saw Professor Rotwood in the hallway?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Jake replied. "He said something about orientating the new students here."

"That is correct." The lady behind the desk approved. She was plump and her hair was pulled into a tight bun on the back of her head. She had round glasses with black rims that she wore on the tip of her nose. Jake and his friends watched her as she pulled out a single piece of paper with names on it. "Here you go, Jake. These are the names of the new students you will be showing around. You can meet them in front of the gym doors. You guys better hurry up if you don't want to be late for class!"

"Thanks." The three said in unison as they headed out the door.

"I guess I'll see y'all later." Jake waved to his friends. "The only good side to this orientation is that I get to miss first period."

"Have fun Jakey!" Trixie called as she and Spud headed towards their first period class.

Jake had decided to make the most out of every obstacle that came his way but as he veered closer to the gym, he had no idea what awaited him.

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><p><strong>Dun duh da da!<br>****Here is the very first chapter of my very first fanfic!**

**I hope you guys like it. Feel free to review and please, don't be afraid to be harsh if you need to! There's always room for improvement!**

**Love Love Love,**

**-MissAly98**


	2. Chapter 2: The New Girl

**Chapter Two: The New Girl**

_What is change? Do we welcome it? Or do we resist it? Change is the act of something becoming different. It's our choice whether we want change to positively affect us or let it negatively affect us. As human beings, we must all adapt to some sort of change, whether we bring it upon ourselves or it happens beyond our control._

_Change is something we should embrace. Let change be a good thing. See change as a chance to try new things. Sometimes it's easy to spot change. Other times, it's much harder…_

_Jake never adjusted well to change… He didn't like it. Change is what got between him and Rose. Grandpa was always telling him to embrace change, he just never listened…_

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><p>When Jake reached the front doors of the gymnasium, he expected to find a much larger group of kids. Instead he found himself approaching only one girl, who was sitting patiently, waiting to be shown around the school.<p>

"Yo, did all the other kids have to use the restroom or something?" Jake asked her, scratching his spiky, black hair.

"Nope. I'm the only one here." The girl simply said.

"Are you sure? I've got a list here filled with at least six different names." Jake told her.

"Well… I never saw anyone else wandering around the hallways looking lost." She said sheepishly.

"Alright... Since you're the only one…" Jake grinned. "I guess it's time for the mack-daddy to show this pretty lady around then?"

The girl giggled in amusement. "I'm Lily." She said holding out her hand for Jake to shake it.

"The name's Jake. Jake Long." Jake said, taking her hand in his. As he was shaking her hand, Jake took a moment to study her.

She had long, wavy, brown hair, perfect, pink, lips and gorgeous, blue eyes. Lily reminded Jake of someone he once knew. Jake just couldn't figure out whom and it really bothered him that he couldn't figure it out…

"Um, you can let go now." Lily said, interrupting Jake's thoughts.

"Oh! Sorry." Jake muttered, slightly turning red.

"It's fine." Lily laughed. Her laugh was something else that seemed familiar to Jake.

Jake shook his head. "Well let's get on with the tour!"

The pair walked around the school for the rest of what was left of first period. When the bell rang for next period, Jake had just finished showing Lily around.

"Well, I've got English class now so I'd better get going." Lily sighed. "Thanks for showing me around."

"It's all good. You know, I can walk you to your class if you'd like." Jake insisted.

Lily smiled. "That'd be great!" Her smile was another thing that Jake could add to the list of things that seemed familiar to him.

"Here we are." Jake announced a moment later when they arrived to the classroom. "I guess I'll see you during lunch if I don't see you before then."

"Sure." Lily smiled that stunning smile of hers. "Thanks again," she added.

"Hey, it was no problem." Jake said and walked off to his class.

Lunch came around and Jake and his friends were seated around their usual table in the cafeteria. Their table was near a window which looked out onto the vast area of the football field. The cafeteria walls were painted a very bright, washed out yellow and the trim around everything was blue. Each table was round and checkered with white and blue squares. The cafeteria was always a very lively place at lunch with the only audible sounds being the accumulated murmuring of teenagers.

"Hey there." Jake heard a voice say, interrupting their group discussion.

"Oh, hey Lily." Jake nodded.

Trixie nudged Jake. "Yo, Jake. Wanna introduce us to your new friend here?" Trixie asked.

"Oh, right. Guys, this is Lily. She's the student I showed around this morning." Jake explained.

"Mhmm. Well I'm Trixie Carter." Trixie stated, making sure to really emphasize her name. "I am the most hippest, hop-happenin' chick at this school." Trixie rested her hands behind her head.

"And I'm Spud!" Spud piped in. "But I'm known around here as 'Spud the Magnificent'!"

"Uhh, since when are you known as 'Spud the Magnificent?"." Trixie asked critically, but pushed aside the thought all together as she focused her attention back on Lily. "_Anyways_, where ya from, Lily?"

Lily was so amused by Jake's friends, she almost didn't hear Trixie's question.

"Oh, I'm from…" Lily faltered. Truth is, she didn't really know where she was from. Her adopted parents were always moving around. Could she really call the places where she's lived a home? "I, uh… I'm from Canada." She lied.

"Nice, nice," was Trixie's response. Although Trixie was kind of unsure what she should think of Lily.

"Canada's cool!" Spud exclaimed. "That's where all the penguins and polar bears live... And oh! People there live in igloos..."

Lily chuckled at Spud and then turned to face Jake.

"So Jake, I was wondering if maybe you could, you know… show me around New York today? After school?" Lily asked, feeling nervous.

Jake laughed. "Of course. Just meet me at the front of the school after last period."

"Okay." Lily smiled and took off towards the exit of the cafeteria.

"Looks like somebody's got a crush!" Spud mused in a sing-song voice.

"Wha-? No way!" Jake said, getting a little defensive.

"Not you bro," Spud corrected. "Lily. Seems like she's got something going on for you."

"That girl's got somethin' goin' on all right." Trixie grumbled.

"Well even if that _is _true, you can't really blame her. I mean, look at this face." Jake stated, pointing towards his head. "It's so pretty, the girls can't resist it."

"You are so full of yourself, Jakey." Trixie joked, rolling her eyes.

But that was the problem with Jake. He always seemed to attract the wrong girls…

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><p><strong>Well here it is!<br>****The second chapter of my fanfic!**

**Just do you guys know, I'm from Canada and NOBODY there lives in igloos... There's no penguins or polar bears either where I'm from. I just wanted to add a little humor. :P**

**Also, I love hearing your reviews so please feel free to send me your suggestions and opinions on my fanfic.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Love Love Love,**

**-MissAly98**


	3. Chapter 3: Duty Calls

**Chapter Three: Duty Calls**

_Do you ever feel like you need to tell someone something and you just can't? Like there's something racking your brain but you're afraid of being rejected if you tell somebody. These things are called secrets. _

_Certain secrets often stand in the way of relationships and may keep you up at night in frustration. People frequently have to lie in situations where they're afraid they might let their secret slip. Eventually people get fed up with all the lies and sneaking around and feel obligated to tell their secret to someone they trust…_

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><p>When the bell rang to signal that school was over, Lily wasn't sure whether she should go sit and wait for Jake outside or take her time and leave the school at the same time as he did. She settled for waiting outside and rushed out to the front of the school as fast as she could. The air outside was chilly on Lily's exposed skin and a light fog laced through the air. Lily watched the leaves carelessly blowing off their branches, and into the light autumn wind. Fall was always a beautiful time of year.<p>

"Hey." Lily heard a voice from behind her. She turned around to find Jake grinning at her. Just then, a sound came from his pants pocket. Lily focused on Jake as he pulled out his cellphone.

"Sorry G, but I'm kinda in the middle of something." Jake spoke through the phone. There was a short pause then Jake spoke again. "Yeah I know it's important but so is this." Another pause. "Yeah, okay. Fine. Give me ten minutes and I'll be there." Jake put his phone back into his pocket.

"Sorry but I have to get going. I'll show you around another time." Jake promised.

"Kay…" Lily said. "Could you maybe at least tell me where you're going? That way, I could possibly meet up with you later…"

"No!" Jake said quickly. "I mean, I'm just going to see my gramps for a couple hours. Boring right?" Jake gave a reassuring laugh. Unfortunately for him, Lily wouldn't buy it.

"Well I better get going." Jake said and rushed off.

Lily watched him dash off as she thought about following him. Her curious mind persuaded her to run after him.

Jake unknowingly led Lily to his grandpa's little shop. The place looked ancient and seemed as if it never got customers. Lily observed from across the street as Jake sprinted towards a dark alley that was located behind the shop. She hesitated behind a park bench, trying to decide if she should follow Jake into the alley or not.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Lily heard a loud flapping noise. She looked up and spotted a massive, red figure. The thing was floating, no _flying,_ above that rundown place. She began to worry about Jake and took off running towards the alley to go find him.

"Jake! JAKE!" Lily screamed.

She got to the alley but Jake was nowhere to be found. Lily looked up, half-expecting to see that large, flying thing but it also wasn't there.

Lily gave up and continued to walk down the alley until the street appeared in front of her. She navigated her way through the busy city until she reached home. It's only been a couple days and New York was already beginning to give her the creeps.

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><p>"Focus Jake!" Lao Shi yelled from the top of his lungs. He and Jake were on the roof of an apartment building, dragon training.<p>

"I'm trying, G!" Jake replied. "I just don't get why I need to train harder than usual."

"There will come a time when a powerful creature comes against you and you won't be ready for it. It's best if I train you now so that you may be prepared for the future." Lao Shi advised.

"Relax, G. The Am. Drag never lets his guard down!" Jake declared

Without warning, Jake suddenly felt his feet fly out from underneath of him. Jake fell to the ground in a scurry.

"Hey! Wha-?" Jake sat up and noticed his grandpa laughing at him.

"Foolish dragon…" Lao Shi muttered, chuckling to himself.

Dragon training is supposed to be a bunch of practice tests that make dragons smarter, faster, and more agile. But in Jake's mind, dragon training meant that Grandpa had the opportunity to make a fool out of Jake. Then again, Grandpa _did_ make a point when it came to life lessons. The most important life lesson that Jake learned was that he must always be ready for whatever comes his way. Grandpa always used this example: _"Two years ago, you defeated the Dark Dragon by trapping him within Victoria Peak. It is very Unlikely that you will ever have to face him again but you must act as if he could pop out of anywhere at any time."_

Jake paid close attention to those words too, because it seems as if every time Jake battled against the Dark Dragon, it got more powerful each time…

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><p><strong>This chapter is much shorter than I expected it to be but I hope it's still long enough to get you through until the next chapter.<br>****Chapter 4 _should_ be my longest chapter yet and will be up tomorrow.**

**Thanks for reading and please, _ please_ feel free to review! Every review helps a bunch! :D**

**Love Love Love,**

**-MissAly98**


	4. Chapter 4: Soft Heart

**Chapter Four: Soft Heart**

_What __does it mean to be in love? Love is irrational and unconditional. Love is a virtue that represents compassion and affection. No matter how hard you try, you can never dismiss the thought of love._

_How do you know when you love someone? You are always thinking about them. Everywhere you go, you are constantly reminded of them. You will always have a need to be around them. You never want to let the person whom you love go..._

_Sometimes, if you really love someone, it's best to let them go. Jake was very familiar with that rule, however, he had a hard time letting go._

* * *

><p>At school the next morning, Lily hurried to find Jake before she had to go to class. She found him beside his locker, chatting with his friends.<p>

"Hiya Jake." Lily interrupted.

"Hey. Sorry about yesterday."

Lily dismissed Jake's apology. "Don't worry about it." She smiled sweetly. "So what are you doing after school today?"

"I recall making arrangements yesterday for me to show you around the hood." Jake replied.

"It's a date." Lilly grinned and as the first bell rang, she continued to her next class.

Jake turned around to face his friends again.

"Looks like the player is back in the game!" Trixie exclaimed.

"Yeah. Looks like it." Jake agreed, walking beside Trixie and Spud.

Jake couldn't believe it. He was going on his first date in two years. _Man, I need to step up my game,_ he thought. _This must be the first step to getting over Rose._ But did he want to get over Rose? He wasn't sure. The more Jake thought about it, the more he wasn't sure about anything. Suddenly, his date with Lily didn't seem as appealing as it did ten seconds ago..._ Forget it Jake, it's time to move on._ Jake pushed his thoughts about Rose out of his mind as he entered his first period class with Trixie and Spud. He'd save those thoughts for a later date.

* * *

><p>After school, Jake walked over to the school parking lot where he said he's meet Lily. Spud and Trixie rolled towards him on their skateboards.<p>

"Yo Jakey-Jake! Too bad you're going on a date with Lily. Me and Spud are headed to the skate park. Mama Trixie's got some new moves she wants to show off."

"Sorry guys." Jake said sympathetically. "But I promised Lily."

"Hmm. Okay. Later Player." Trixie said and took off.

"Have fun!" Spud called a moment later and followed Trixie to the skatepark.

"You ready?" A voice surprised Jake from behind him.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah." Jake enthused as he realized it was Lily.

Jake led Lily around the city, taking her to all his favourite hangout spots; the park, the mall, the arcade, and so on. It was almost 6:00 when they arrived at his grandpa's shop. Lily was a little hesitant to enter because of what she saw yesterday. She couldn't let Jake know that she followed him yesterday so she dismissed her uncertainties and followed Jake inside. The shop was empty and dark.

"You hang out at an electronics shop?" Lily asked, slightly amused.

Jake was a little offended by her comment, only because he knew this little shop was so much more than 'an electronics shop'. But Jake couldn't let Lily know about the magical world that existed beyond this one, could he? _No Jake! You just met her. You can't tell her anything about your secret double life._ But there was just something about Lily that made Jake want to trust her...

"Uh, Lily...?" Jake began.

"Yes, Jake?"

There it was again. That feeling Jake got when he noticed something familiar about Lily. Jake took a second to look at Lily, like, really _look_ at her.

Her hair was tucked into a fuzzy beanie and Jake saw strands of dark hair coming loose against her face. Without thinking, he took a lock of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. Lily beamed at him and a slight blush crept onto her face. Her blue eyes shined in the dim moonlight. As Jake looked deeper into them, he could see that there was a depth to them, almost as if he was staring into the ocean. Her cheeks were tinted bright red from the cold September air that nipped at her skin. It looked almost as if her cheeks were like a... _rose._ Realization it Jake like a hard punch in the stomach. How could he not see it before? Better yet, how would he get over his lost love now when every time he looked at Lily, he was reminded of Rose? Her eyes, her lips, nose, cheeks, hair, everything. _It was all the same._

"You should go" Jake abruptly said.

Lily looked confused. "Why?" She asked innocently.

Jake deliberated. He couldn't tell Lily about Rose. He wouldn't. _But Lily just looks so much like her..._

Jake let his love for Rose take over. "I need to tell you something." He said.

"But I thou-" Lily began.

Jake cut her off. "I know but just listen. Okay, this is going to sound strange, but you remind me of someone that I used to know."

"Really?" Lily answered. Who?"

"Her name's Rose..." was all Jake said._ What was he doing?_ His mind sobered and he stopped himself from saying anything else about Rose. "Forget it. I'll never see her again anyways..." Jake grumbled.

But Lily pressed on. "Where does this Rose girl live?"

Jake sighed. "Lily... It doesn't matter. Really. I should've never said anything."

But Lily was much too stubborn. "Aww c'mon Jake. I'm only trying to help you."

Jake thought about it. _I know I just met her..._he thought. _But there's a reason she's here. Like, she's here to help me get over Rose... I should tell her everything... Even if it means telling her about the alternate reality I wished for Rose..._

Jake let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Okay" he finally agreed. "But we can't talk here. There's just one more place I want you to see."

Jake grasped Lily's hand and led her out of the shop. Memories of him and Rose came to mind at the touch.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked with a hushed voice.

"Shh. You'll see when we get there." Jake said with a mischievous grin on his face.

Jake led her through the neighbourhood which wasn't very busy at this hour. Jake wished her could dragon up and fly over to where he was going but because Lily didn't know about the magical world, they had to settle for finding the nearest subway station; which was only a block away from the shop. The two got to the entrance and stepped underground. The underground traffic was even less busy than that above ground. There were only five people waiting that Jake could see and only two trains in the station. Jake secretly used his 'eye of the dragon' to see where each train was headed. The furthest train on the left was the one he wanted to take. Jake and Lily snuck on and waited for the train to depart.

"Are you going to tell me where we're headed?" Lily pleaded, growing impatient.

"Nope." Jake grinned. "Like I said before, it's a surprise."

Lily groaned playfully.

"So what's Canada like?" Jake asked Lily.

Jake's question caught her off guard. "Oh. It's uh... you know, cold." She stammered.

"Are the people nice?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah."

Jake tried looking into Lily's eyes but Lily only looked down at her lap.

_She's so hard to read,_ Jake thought. _So unpredictable. Almost like a rollercoaster._

Just then, the subway train motioned forward and the two were silent for the rest of the way.

* * *

><p>About twenty minutes later, the train jolted to a stop.<p>

Lily followed Jake throughout the musky subway station and up through the exit. Jake began to pick up the pace and Lily impelled herself forward, bustling to catch up with Jake. They ran across the edge of the city to a small clearing. The clearing was above a diminutive cliff which on looked the entire borough of Manhattan. Lily took Jake's inviting hand and let him lead her up the steep hill.

"Here we are." Jake beamed when they got to the top. Jake looked over towards Lily and saw that she was looking out over the cliff, gaping.

"This-this is beautiful." Lily stuttered.

Jake chuckled. "That's exactly what Rose said when I brought her here."

Lily immediately turned her head to look at Jake.

"Jake... I..." She was speechless.

Jake chuckled in satisfaction. He put his arm on Lily's back and guided her to the edge of the cliff. The soft grass welcomed their bodies as they sat down. Jake propped his arm up onto his knee and looked out at the bright city lights. The peacefulness and emptiness of the faraway clearing enveloped them.

Moments later, Lily broke the silence. "So tell me about Rose..."

"Right." Jake responded. "Well I've known her since I was thirteen. I knew from the first time a saw her that she was the one. I pulled all my mack-daddy mazzagic on her and she dug it. After a bit though, things got complicated and we were forced to keep our relationship strictly professional."

"What happened?" Lily asked.

"I... I can't tell you. Just trust me." Jake regretted saying it but he just couldn't bring himself to tell Lily about the magical world.

"Okay." Lily nodded her head in understanding.

"Mhm... So eventually, we couldn't stay apart any longer so I took the opportunity to take her to homecoming. Unfortunately it didn't end so well..." Jake sighed, re-thinking if he should tell Lily about the Aztec Skulls._ It couldn't hurt. They're destroyed anyways..._

"It started with these crystal skulls. They were called the Aztec Skulls and they allowed whoever possessed all thirteen of them one wish. I can't tell you why or how we had them, we just did."

"I think I've heard about those before." Lily suddenly interrupted.

"Huh? How?" Jake asked surprised.

"Oh..." Lily muttered. "I must have skimmed the name in a book or something..."

"So you've heard of them?" Jake asked.

"Hmm? Yeah." Lily replied. "Let's just get on with your story."

"Okay then..." Jake was a bit suspicious. He didn't know if he should mention the Huntsclan in the next part of his story but settled for doing so anyways.

"Then there were these Huntsmen that Rose was a part of by birth" Jake said.

"Who were the huntsmen?" Lily interrupted.

"I'm sorry Lily. I can't tell you much about them. They don't exist anymore so it's okay."

"Why don't they exist?"

"I'm getting to that part." Jake smiled. "So in a swift movement to save the world, Rose took the Aztec Skull out of the Huntsmaster's hand and wished for the destruction of all huntsclan."

Lily gasped. "But that would mean..."

"Yeah I know. I felt like my entire world was just falling apart so I did the only I could do. I grabbed the skull and made my wish. I wished Rose was never taken by the huntsclan and she'd have a normal life. That's all Rose has ever wanted. Then, there was a bright green flash and Rose was gone. I felt so... broken apart. I thought she was gone for good. I thought for sure I'd never see her again. I went home that night feeling heartbroken; a feeling I've never felt before. But I also remember feeling okay about it too. Later the following day, I saw Rose outside the school and my whole world brightened up. She told me she was moving to Hong Kong because her dad got a job transfer there. I wasn't mad or upset. That's when I felt okay about everything. Rose finally got her wish, but I've missed her ever since."

"Wow." Lily was shocked. _Jake just poured his entire heart out to me, _she thought. It was definitely more than she expected.

"Have you ever thought about going back? Back to Hong Kong and finding Rose?" Lily suddenly asked.

"By myself?" Jake wondered.

"Yeah. Except you wouldn't be by yourself." Lily said. "I'd go with you."

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><p><strong>Intense enough for you? I had fun writing this chapter so I up you guys like it!<br>****Feel free to review and send suggestions if you need to. :)**

**Love Love Love,**

**-MissAly98**


	5. Chapter 5: Decisions Decisions Decisions

**Chapter Five: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions **

_How do you know when you've made a good decision? _

_A lot of times, you're going to be faced with tough decisions and you have to know how to make the right choice._

_If it just so happens that you make the wrong choice, just know that you will always have friends and family to fall back on and to help you. The best thing that you can do is make all your judgements to what you feel is right. And Jake, as naive and easily led as he is, was going to need a lot of help to make the right choice..._

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><p>"I don't know Lily..." Jake hung his head in frustration.<p>

"Come _on!_ We can leave tonight, just the two of us! No one will have to know!" Lily said in a persuasive voice.

"Lily..." Jake warned. "It's too dangerous."

"And coming here wasn't?" Lily argued. "Come on. You love her, don't you?"

Jake paid no attention to Lily's question. "How would we even get there?"

"We'd fly, I guess." Lily answered.

"Huh? How'd you know about that?" Jake concluded that Lily was talking about flying to Hong Kong as a dragon.

"About what?" Lily asked, her brows scrunched up in confusion.

"Uh, oh never mind!" Jake said quickly, feeling embarrassed as it just occurred to Jake that Lily was talking about flying in a plane.

"Are you scared of airports or something?" Lily teased.

"No!" Jake blurted."It's just... The idea... it caught me off guard, that's all!"

"Mhm, sure." Lily joked.

Jake laughed. "Seriously! And even if we did take a plane there, we'd never get past security. I mean, we don't even have any money!"

"If you really want to see Rose ever again, I'm sure you'd find a way to get yourself to Hong Kong." Lily smiled.

Jake concentrated on his lap. "I don't know... it's getting late anyways. I'd better get you home." Jake stood up and brushed himself off. "Ready?" he asked, holding out his hand towards Lily.

"I guess." Lily said as she took Jake's hand again.

Jake walked Lily home with the brightness of the moon as their only light. When they got to Lily's apartment, Jake said good-bye to Lily and watched her as she ran up the stairs and through the door. When Jake was sure that Lily was out of sight, he dragooned up and flew home. It had been a busy day for the both of them.

* * *

><p>"I don't know Trix, she said that she'd help me find Rose." Jake said the following morning at school. It was lunchtime and Jake was pacing back and forth in frustration at the gang's usual spot in the cafeteria. "I have to tell her I'm a dragon. But then what if it turns out that I can't trust her? No... I have to tell her! It's the only way I'll ever see Rose again..."<p>

Trixie sighed. No matter how many times she tried to talk Jake out of sharing his secret, he just wouldn't listen. "Boy, you're trippin' over this thing like it's one of Rotwood's crazy tests! But if you feel that telling Lily your secret is going to make you happy then boy, you go ahead and tell her."

Jake stopped pacing to look at Trixie. "How does that help? I don't even know what makes me happy!" Jake ranted and threw his arms up into the air.

"Well Rose makes you happy, right?" Trixie pointed out.

"Yeah, she does..." Jake agreed. "Wait, are you suggestion that I should tell Lily about the magical world?"

"I know I'm going to regret this later," Trixie began. "But if she really wants to help you find your true love then yes. Tell Lily about—"

"Tell me about what?" Lily interrupted, appearing behind Jake with a tray of food in her hands. She sat down beside Trixie and looked up at Jake expectantly.

This was it. Jake knew exactly what he wanted to do and with Trixie's reassurance, he knew that everything was going to be okay.

"I need to tell you about something important." Jake stated. "But we'll have to wait until after school. Meet me at my gramp's shop."

"Alright." Lily agreed as she stuck a fork in her salad.

* * *

><p>After school, Jake was in a rush to get to his Grandpa's shop. Jake needed to talk to Fu before Lily got there and he didn't want anything—or anyone—getting in his way.<p>

"Oh Mr. Long." A voice suddenly said in a sing-song voice.

"Aww man!" Jake whined, turning around.

Mr. Rotwood was standing a mere foot away from Jake with his arms crossed on top of his chest. "I hope you are not busy with anything at the moment." Rotwood presumed.

"Actually, I have—" Jake began.

Professor Rotwood cut him off. "Great. Then you will be able to help me set up the gym for tomorrow morning's assembly."

"But," Jake started.

"No buts!" Rotwood warned. "I know what you are capable of and since I can't prove that you are a dragon, I am going to make your time here a living hell."

Jake sighed and with a grunt, headed off back inside towards the gymnasium.

* * *

><p><em>Ching! <em>Fu heard the chimes as someone stepped through the door of the electronics shop. Fu was in the back cleaning up some ingredients from his latest potion. The shop never got customers so he assumed it was Jake that had just walked in.

"Hey Jake, glad you stopped by." Fu said, walking towards the front of the shop. "I think the Oracle Twins are really going to like this Pixie-For-A-Day potion that I made them for their birthday..."

But as Fu trotted past the curtained doorway, the person who entered the shop was not Jake. In fact, the person standing there was someone whom Fu as never even met before...

* * *

><p><strong>This. Took. Forever. To. Update.<strong>

**I know, I'm sorry. It's just...**

**The first week I'm back at school and three exams get thrown in my face. So for the entire last week my schedule consisted of **_**study, study, study.**_** Not to mention, I'm also a dancer and we started choreo. for all our dances and it really sucks having to catch up after you've missed two weeks. **

**So, as you can tell, I've been really busy and I apologize for not updating sooner. But here it is. Chapter Five (finally)!**

**Oh, and I kinda wrote this chapter in a bunch of different time lapses and I hope writing it in Fu's perspective didn't mess you up.**

**I appreciate all the kind reviews and I will try to update once a week!**

**Love, Love, Love**

**-MissAly98**


	6. Chapter 6: Secret's Unveiled

**Chapter 6: Secret's Unveiled**

_How do you tell when you can trust someone? Well first of all, what is trust? Trust is having the ability to rely on someone. You have total confidence in them that they can keep your secret. So how do you know when you can trust someone? You will know that you can trust someone by feeling a connection when you're around them. You will always be willing to say whatever's on your mind when you're with them; and Jake felt exactly that with Lily._

* * *

><p>Lily just stared, gaping at the talking dog in front of her.<p>

"You... you talk." She stuttered. "But how?"

"Uhh, woof." Fu stammered.

"No, you did talk!" Lily exclaimed. "You thought I was Jake."

Fu just stood there. He didn't know what to do. If he said anything else, he'd have to explain to this girl how he is an animal guardian to magical dragons and that could possibly jeopardize the entire magical world. Fu couldn't walk back through the curtain; that would only make Lily suspicious. Instead, he settled for lying down on the ground and pretended to take a nap. Fu Dog figured it was the best way to avoid any awkwardness.

Lily just stared in disbelief. She heard that dog talk, she was sure of it. Lily needed to find out what was going on but she had to wait patiently for Jake to get there. Walking over to a stool beside the counter, Lily sat down and sighed. She hoped she didn't have to wait too long for Jake to come.

Lily sat, waiting and waiting, but after two hours, Jake still hadn't shown up. She'd began to think that Jake had bailed on her. "...Typical..." Lily sighed. Lily decided on leaving the shop since she had lost all hope of Jake ever showing up. The bell above the door chimed as she left the building.

Lily had only made it halfway down the block when she heard Jake calling her name.

"Lily! Hey Lily! Wait up, yo!" Jake shouted. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you!" Jake slowed down as he caught up to Lily.

"About time..." Lily muttered

Jake was confused. "For what?" He asked.

"Oh, you'll see when we get back to your grandpa's shop."

Jake didn't understand. _Like a rollercoaster..._ he thought to himself.

When the two arrived, Lily pointed to where the old dog was laying.

"See this mutt? It talks." Lily said, looking up at Jake.

Jake just looked puzzled. "Yo... I don't think carpets can talk."

"Huh?" Lily gasped, turning her back to Jake. "There was a dog there. I swear!"

"Oh, so you're trying to tell me that you saw a talking dog?" Jake teased, amusement in his eyes.

"Yes... Wait. Do you know anything about this?" Lily asked.

Jake chuckled. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Well you've got some serious explaining to do."

Jake beamed and took Lily's hand. Their fingers intertwined and Jake felt a rush warmth. "Follow me" Jake whispered and led Lily through the curtained door.

As Lily stepped through the curtain, she gasped at all the magical things that she saw. Spell books, potions, eerie looking objects; Lily couldn't believe her eyes.

"Jake..." She breathed. "This... This is amazing."

Jake just nodded his head. "You ain't scared?"

"No"

Jake took a deep breath. "Then there's one more thing I need to show you."

Jake closed his eyes and whispered a barely audible "dragon up." Lily watched as a deep blue flame engulfed Jake and a mighty, red dragon took his place. "Lily... I'm a dragon." Jake said, holding out his hands for Lily to touch.

Lily struggled to keep her cool. "Oh my gosh." Lily gasped as she laid a hand across Jake's claws. "I can't believe it."

Jake smiled. "Now that you know, we can go to Hong Kong."

Lily beamed. "And your story..."

"I can finish my story." Jake smiled and the same blue flame took over again, letting Jake return to his human form. "And we can leave for Hong Kong tomorrow, first thing."

Lily deliberated. "Okay." She agreed.

Jake nodded his head and led Lily back out into the main part of the electronics shop where Fu was now sitting up at the counter. "And this is my dog, Fu."

"That's the talking dog."

"Exactly."

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm a talking dog; but I also keep this reckless kid here in order." Fu teased.

Lily laughed at what Fu said and then turned her attention back to Jake. Taking a deep breath, she processed everything that Jake had just told her. "So you're a magical dragon. Is it just you or...?"

"No, there's an entire magical world and me, along with the rest of my family, are dragons." Jake told her.

"Wow. Well... I better get going. Give me some time to think about everything before we leave, you know?" Lily said.

"Yeah." Jake agreed. "I can fly you home, if you want."

"No." Lily said quickly. "I mean, it's okay; I can walk."

"Oh okay then. Check ya later."

"Bye." Lily smiled and walked briskly out of the little store.

Jake sighed. He couldn't decide if telling Lily about the magical world was the best thing to do but somehow, Jake knew that he could trust her.

* * *

><p><strong>Well here's Chapter 6 for everyone! So glad I finally updated. I hope this chapter was good. At first I didn't really like how it was turning out but I read it over, edited it and now I like it so I hope you do to! <strong>

**Please review!**

**Love, Love, Love**

**-MissAly98**


	7. Chapter 7: Trust Issues

**Chapter 7: Trust Issues**

_All I care about is money and the city that I'm from._

_I'mma sing until I feel it, I'mma go until it's done._

_I don't need to say what's up and my excuse is that I'm young,_

_And I'm only getting older, somebody shoulda told ya._

_xx_

_You just need to listen,_

_I'll teach you how to fix it,_

'_Cause you're the only one, _

'_Cause I don't trust these women._  
><em>I don't, I don't trust these women,<em>

'_Cause they might have me slippin',_

_And you're the only one..._

_**(Trust Issues – Drake)**_

* * *

><p>"I see you've decided to let the cat out of the bag to another one of your friends." Fu stated after Lily had left. "But you just met her Jake. What made you want to tell her?"<p>

"I don't know, Fu. I just... I just feel like I can trust her with anything. Like, there's a connection that me and her have, ya know?" Jake said softly.

"I just hope you know what you're doing, kid." Fu told him.

Jake puffed out a long sigh. "Well, I'll see you in the morning Fu. I need to get home."

"Good night, Jake."

* * *

><p>"You will never live to see another day young dragon!" Lao Shi made it clear that the American Dragon should be persecuted into oblivion. "You have exposed the magical world, sending us into an infinite doom!" Lao Shi led the mob into the attack of the poor, red dragon whom will always be remembered as their enemy.<p>

Jake looked around trying to find a way out of the furious crowd; he rose on his dragon wings, flapping them mightily. He thought he had escaped them; he forgot that they could fly too. He puffed a large flame, aimed at his persecutors; So much so that smoke clouded everywhere making it hard for all the dragons to see. Jake arose even more and took his chance to flee. Suddenly, he felt the earth tilt and it caught him off guard. Jake spiralled back down to the ground and crash-landed into the clutches of the... _No! It couldn't be! _The Dark Dragon had captured Jake and sent him into a fit of kicking and thrashing. The world blackened and Jake could no longer see; he could only hear the cries of his old friends that were now his enemies.

"Shoot him!"

"Slit his throat!"

"This fool should be hanged!"

Slowly, Jake's thoughts faded away until he was senseless...

"Jake! Jake honey! What's the matter? Are you okay?" Susan struggled to keep Jake from kicking another sheet off his bed. "Wake up! You're having a nightmare!" Susan shouted.

Jake's eyes fluttered open. "Ahh! Mom! Thank God!" Jake said, rubbing his temples. "Nobody's out to get me."

"No honey. You're okay." Susan said and bent down t o kiss Jake on the forehead. "Now go get dressed."

Jake watched his mom leave the room and once she was gone, he got up to shut the door. Jake had other ideas and he was positive that his mom wasn't going to like them. Jake picked up his cell phone from the bedside table and dialled a number of which he knew very well.

"Yo Fu. I'm uh... I don't know how to say this, but... I'm kinda leaving for Hong Kong today and I uh... need you to cover for me." Jake said, his voice rushed with anxiety.

Jake paused as he waited for Fu to reply. After a full minute of waiting, Jake finally heard Fu say, "Alright kid. But only because I trust that you know what you're doing."

"Yes! Thank you so much, Fu! I won't let you down." Jake said and hung up is phone. He got dressed and began packing up his suitcase with all the essential things he needed and when he finished, Jake carefully placed the suitcase under his bed. Jake was going to have to come up with a lie to tell his parents so he would be able to leave without them knowing where he was actually going.

Casually, Jake walked downstairs and he could already smell the pancake flavoured air wafting through the room. He got to the kitchen and found his mom, dad, and sister, Hailey, gathered around their breakfast table waiting patiently for Jake to join them.

"One pancake or two?" Jake's mom asked as he sat down at the table.

"Um, can I have three? I'm starving." Jake replied. He was going to need a lot of energy if he was going to fly to Hong Kong.

Susan chuckled. "I guess so, hon," she said, placing three golden pancakes on Jake's plate. They were still warm.

"Well, dig in everyone!" Susan exclaimed.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Jake was about to head to his room when he heard a light knock at the front door. "I'll get it!" He yelled and ran over to open the door.<p>

Jake slowly opened it, half expecting it to be Lily but it was only Fu. Jake relaxed and opened the door wide to invite Fu in.

"Thanks kid." Fu said. "So we got a plan?"

Jake scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I was thinking, we could pretend that G has sent me away for some dragon training. But I'm gonna need you to keep Gramps away from my parents."

"Okay. Can do. Are you sure you wanna do this?" Fu asked, concerned.

"Yes." Jake said surely. "It's the only way that I'll ever be able to see Rose again."

"Alright, kid. I'll go break the news to your parents." Fu said and trotted off to the kitchen.

Jake headed upstairs to retrieve his suitcase. When he got back down, he joined Fu in the kitchen.

"...So Jake's gonna be absent here for a bit." Jake heard Fu say. Jake's parents nodded their head in unison.

"Alright... If it's for dragon training... I guess so." John agreed.

Jake looked at his parents and gave them a quick hug. He hoped he wouldn't get into too much trouble while he was in Hong Kong. "Thanks guys." Jake smiled and led the way out the door. Fu trailed behind him letting out a long sigh.

Fu and Jake parted once they got to the shop. "Good luck, kid. And stay safe."

"Thanks, Fu." Jake said, giving the grey Shar Pei a quick hug. "I'll see you when I get back."

Jake swung his suitcase over his shoulder and began walking towards Lily's house. He prayed that everything would be successful.

A half an hour later, Jake arrived at Lily's apartment. He walked up the stairs and through the lobby doors. There was a panel to the left full of different last names and room numbers. He remembered from one of their past conversations that she was under her adoptive parents' last name 'Chang.' The panel also indicated that they were living in room number 32. Jake pressed the little button beside the correct name and waited to be buzzed in. Less than a minute later, he heard Lily's voice over a small speaker.

"Who is it?" The sing-song voice said.

"Uh, it's Jake."

"Oh! Just a minute." There was a pause. "Okay! You can come up."

Jake heaved his suitcase up two flights of stairs until he reached the third floor. He tapped on the door that led to room 32.

"Jake!" Lily squealed, opening the door. "I can't wait for this trip!"

Jake noticed that Lily seemed unusually excited. "Me too." He replied. "Your parents are okay with this?"

"Oh yes. Well actually it's just my mom and she's totally fine with it." Lily said and gestured for Jake to come in.

As Jake walked further inside, he noticed a frail looking lady sitting at a small dining table trying to look casual.

"Hello Jake." The lady smiled and looked up at Jake. Jake noticed that her eyes were a pale blue colour and her irises were swirling almost like smoke.

"Hiya Miss..." Jake started.

"You can call me Lora."

"Hi Lora." Jake said, feeling awkward. "We'd better get going." Jake said, turning to face Lily.

"Alright." Lily responded. See you later!" She said, waving to Lora.

When the two got outside, Jake led her behind the building. "Dragon up!" Jake hollered when they were out of sight. Lily watched him, breathless as the deep blue flame engulfed him once more. "Climb on my back." Jake ordered. "We'll get there in no time."

Jake took a route over the United Stated and across the Pacific Ocean. Naturally, dragons can fly much faster than planes because of their bigger wingspan. Lily loved the thrill of wind in her face every time Jake beat his wings. It really felt magical. Once and awhile, Jake would take a break and let his wings just float on the air. It's slowed them down a bit but that was okay.

The two managed to make it to Hong Kong in six and a half hours which is 40% faster than it would take to ride a plane there. As Jake veered closer to the edge of Hong Kong, he crash landed just on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. Half asleep, he still managed to catch Lily in his arms and the blue flame surrounded them both as Jake took back his human form. Still wrapped in each other's arms, the two collapsed on the beach and slept for the rest of what little night they had.

* * *

><p>It was almost noon when Lily woke up. Her hair was matted and full of sand. The hot sun beat down on her and she felt dehydrated. Lily rolled over to find Jake snoring away with his face covered in sand. Let him sleep, Lily thought. He had a busy night. She decided to take advantage of the alone time and went towards the ocean to wash up as much as she could. Lily took off her shoes and socks and dipped her toes in the cool water. A relieving sigh escaped her lips. She bent down and cupped a small amount of water in her hands and splashed it onto her face. She rubbed water up and down her arms and let the warm sun dry her off. Jake was already up and feeling groggy when she joined him again on the beach.<p>

"How was your sleep?" She asked.

"Yo! It was super uncomfortable!" Jake complained. "At least now that we're here, we can go find Rose!" Jake smiled.

"Yeah." Lily smiled back at him.

They walked off the beach and into the busy streets of Hong Kong. Last time Jake was here, he made sure to memorize her school, where she lived, and where he'd most likely see her when she wasn't at home or at school.

"Let's start by heading over to her place." Jake suggested.

"Okay..." Lily said and followed closely behind Jake.

Jake led them through a series of twists and turns down narrow streets, bridges, and trails until they reached Rose's street.

"Okay, if I remember right, her house is at the very end of this street." Jake said to himself. Jake walked up to the last house on the street and knocked on the door. A tall man with dark brown hair answered the door.

"Uhh hello. Is Rose here?" Jake asked nervously.

"No she isn't." The man replied. "Why are you looking for my daughter?"

"Um, I'm a close friend. Do you know where I can find her? It's really important." Jake said, his voiced rushed with anxiety.

"I'm afraid I am not sure where she is. You could check the school." The man said closing the door. He stopped halfway. "Say... You look a little familiar. Have we met before?"

"No time to explain now, sir!" Jake was already jogging towards the school. Rose's dad only shook his head and closed the door.

Jake and Lily jogged all the way to the school. Thank goodness it was only a few blocks away. Jake entered the building and began looking up and down the hallways and in classrooms for Rose. There was no sign of her anywhere. "I guess we could try the park." Jake said, breathless.

Lily just shrugged her shoulders. "I guess."

They were halfway to the park when Lily spoke up. "Actually, how about we go somewhere else?"

Jake stopped to look at her. "Where were you thinking we'd go?"

"Well, before my parents died, they used to take me here on vacations once and awhile. I know a couple spots where teens would hang out." Lily negotiated.

"Okay. Lead the way." Jake said.

Lily led Jake to a small forest on the outskirts of Hong Kong. It seemed like a calm place and the sun's rays shone through the tree branches making it look like a place from heaven. Lily walked past a few shrubs and large trees until she came to a small, grassy clearing. Jake walked slowly behind, keeping an eye out for Rose. He never saw her. In fact, he didn't see _anyone. _He and Lily were the only two people here. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Jake saw a small shadow coming toward him. The shadow approached rapidly, growing bigger with each passing second. Jake ducked away from it but it was too late. Jake lost sight of everything and his senses were knocked out. His world went black.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this took so long to write! It is a longer chapter and I hope you enjoy it! <strong>

**Love, Love, Love**

**-MissAly98**


	8. Chapter 8: Finding Your Strength

**Chapter 8: Finding Your Strength**

_You need strength to overcome fears. You need strength to do difficult tasks. You need strength to build endurance. Endurance builds you and keeps you going. Strength is what builds up our power and gives us courage. Sometimes people will knock you down. They will knock you down until all your strengths are gone. You feel empty. Nothing seems possible. Jake felt weak; like he was drained of his strengths. He felt completely alone that way too. And he didn't like it. At all._

* * *

><p>At first, Jake thought he was dreaming again but when he awoke, there was no panic feeling and kicking of his arms and legs. Jake's vision was blurry but by what he could tell, he was no longer in the forest clearing. Instead he was in a dark tunnel that smelled like sewer water. Slowly, he tried to move his limbs but instead was greeted by a rush of pain at his ankles and wrists.<p>

"Unhh..." He groaned in pain. Jake steadily looked up to see his wrists chained to the cold, stone wall. The same went for his ankles. Jake struggled against the tight metal, trying to free himself. "Dragon up!" Jake grunted. Nothing happened. He tried again but still no blue flame. Jake kept fighting against the pinch of the chains but it only made his body ache. "Aww man..." he breathed.

Feeling hopeless, Jake began to panic after realizing that Lily wasn't with him.

"Lilly!" He called out in a strained voice. "Lilly?"

Jake was taken by surprise when he suddenly felt his body being yanked upwards. His bruised limbs protested a cry of pain. Jake fought to keep from screaming.

"Hello American Dragon" said an eerie voice. It belonged to the creature who was causing Jake all this pain. Jake focused on the creatures eyes; they were the only thing he could really see. They were pale blue with swirling, smoky irises. Where had he seen those eyes before?

"Chang!" he gasped.

"You are a smart one, American Dragon." An evil grin curled at the edges of her lips.

"What are you doing here? Where's Lily?" Jake bursted.

"Oh, you mean your friend here?" Chang asked as Lily shuffled forward from behind the shadows.

"Lily?" Jake shouted, surprised.

"Sorry Jake" Lily mouthed. Lily's eyes were wide with fear. She looked lost and confused.

"What's going on, yo?" Jake struggled again with the chains. "And why do you have Lily?"

"Let Lily explain that to you herself." Chang snickered.

Jake looked into Lily's big, blue eyes, fearing what she was about to say.

"I didn't know! I thought I was doing a good thing! I swear! I thought! I thought..." Lily faltered. She didn't want to say anything else. She could already see the sadness in Jake's eyes. "I'm so sorry!" Lily wailed before Chang pushed her back into the shadows.

"Child, I see we need to catch up." Chang grinned.

"Why am I here?" Jake shouted at her. He never stopped struggling against the chains no matter how much his body protested in pain. He was too angry to care.

"You are here because Lily led you here." Chang said with that devilish grin still glued to her face. "She helped me capture you."

Jake paused to study Chang's face. "Lily wouldn't do that," he argued.

"Ahh, but she did, you foolish dragon. I suppose you're wondering why..." Chang moved closer towards Jake until their faces were just inches apart. "I told her everything I knew about the magical world. She was under my care since she was a mere baby. Many years of home schooling and many years of teaching her that dragons were evil creatures. She had to have felt obligated to turn you in when she found out what you were."

Jake swore under his breath.

"It's ironic..." Chang continued, backing away from Jake. "Dragons aren't even that evil at all. It's us she should be scared of."

"Us? Who's us?" Jake asked.

At this, Chang bursted into a loud cackle. "Us? You ask. Why, us is me and the—"

Suddenly, Jake heard a loud, booming noise as something broke through the walls of the cave and landed right in front of where Jake was tied up.

It was the Dark Dragon.

* * *

><p><strong>Muahaha! Another cliff hanger. I'm having fun with this. <strong>

**Well, hope you enjoyed it!**

**Love, Love, Love**

**-MissAly98**


	9. Chapter 9: Looking For Answers

**Chapter 9: Looking for Answers**

_Imagine sitting in math class doing a test and all the questions are multiple choice. You have just finished working out one of the questions and the answer you came up with doesn't match up with any of the answers on the multiple choice. Frustrating, isn't it? Things like that happen a lot. Not just in a math test but also in life. Just when you think you have everything figured out, you realize that you couldn't be more wrong._

* * *

><p>Jake stared in shock, wanting so badly to dragon up and break out of the chains that were cruelly holding him prisoner. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" Jake grumbled through gritted teeth.<p>

The Dark Dragon snickered. "Why, I could ask you the same question."

"Just tell me what's going on! What are you planning?" Jake shouted.

"Well I am planning to take over the world!" The Dark Dragon bellowed. "And I couldn't have you getting in my way."

Jake struggled against the chains. "No. You're. Not!" he grunted. "Dragon!" was all Jake managed to whelp before losing all his strength.

The Dark Dragon let out a deep grumble of a laugh. "Look around you. You're so helpless. Lily did a great job of distracting you. Bringing you here was just a bonus. It seems really unfair how easily I could destroy you, Dragon. "Jake's enemy taunted.

A loud scream suddenly pierced through the air.

"Lily!" Jake called out with a slight tremble.

The tunnel walls shuddered and Jake heard a large boom as Lily let out another scream. The walls shattered, revealing Lily, who was locked in a large cage. The bars were made of some kind of heavy metal; The same metal that was clasped around Jakes ankles and wrists.

In the distance, Jake heard Chang threaten Lily to keep quiet and stop screaming.

The Dark Dragon, after being focused on that whole scenario, turned back to face Jake again and groaned. "I don't have time to deal with this! Lock them both in there and get them out of my sight!" He demanded Chang.

Chang hesitated for a moment but did as she was told.

Jake heaved a heavy sigh of relief as Chang undid the tight chains. Jake fell to the ground in exhaustion.

"Get up, boy!" Chang ordered with a menacing tone in her voice.

Jake did the best he could to get up but he could only crawl. Chang cackled at how weak and defenceless he was. She didn't have the patience to watch him struggle anymore so she picked Jake up by the neck of his sweater and threw him in the cage with Lily. That was the last thing that Jake remembered before everything went black...

* * *

><p>"Jake? Jake! It's me, Lily! Wake up!" Lily said anxiously.<p>

Jake's eyes fluttered and focused on Lily's eyes. Jake stared blankly into her eyes until his mind caught up with what was going on. Jake sat up, examining his surroundings.

"How long was I out for?" He asked.

"A couple hours, but don't worry about it. That dragon hasn't done anything. Yet." Lily answered.

"Don't worry about it? How can I not worry about it?" Jake shrieked. "This is serious Lily! The Dark Dragon has the power to destroy the world if we don't stop him! Do you want to die?"

"No!" Lily sharply responded. "He wouldn't kill me. I'm his daughter."

"What are you talking about? Seriously Lily, stop playing games. This is serious!" Jake shouted.

"I _am_ being serious! I've been living with him up until recently when he got captured inside Victorious peak. I know that he's half dragon and half human. Like you. And Chang. Together, they raised me ever since I was a baby. You know, if anyone should be stopped, it's you." Lily explained.

"What? No! You have it all wrong! _He's_ the bad guy!" Jake protested.

"He told me everything! Told me about you, about your Grandpa, and even the whole dragon council! You guys are all set on destroying the entire magical world and you'd destroy this world in a heartbeat if you could!" Lily yelled at Jake.

Jake groaned in annoyance. "If I really wanted to destroy the world, don't you think I would've done it by now?"

"I saw you training on the rooftop a few weeks ago!" Lily yelled, avoiding the question.

"Yeah, training so I can beat jerks like the Dark Dragon! Face it Lily. He's lying to you!" Jake tried convincing her.

"And how do I know that _you're_ not lying to me?" Lily asked.

Jake groaned, giving up on convincing her. It was hopeless. _What got into her? _ Jake asked himself. This was not the Lily he was used to.

The two sat in silence in a dark corner of the tunnel. Jake didn't have a clue where Chang and the Dark Dragon were but he was determined to find out. Jake contemplated, trying to figure out his next move. In the corner of his eyes, Jake saw a small black shadow swiftly moving closer toward him. Jake turned his head to focus on it. Before he knew it, he was face to face with the love of his life. Their noses touched and Jake felt a rush of adrenaline move throughout his body. "Rose!" He whispered before their lips met and he kissed her through the cage bars...

* * *

><p><strong>That was intense! Oh man, I sure owe you guys! I'm tellin' ya though, I had quite the busy schedule but I sure am glad a finally updated this! I hope you enjoy!<strong>

**Love, Love, Love**

**-MissAly98**


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